One Step Closer
by Holly Chase
Summary: Once upon a time, in a land far away there was a princess called Silena. She had a dream and forgot it and married the man she thought she loved whilst the man she would love watched and smiled./ written for truthbeforethelies' 'Unpopular Pairings' contest.


**A/N: This is written for the Unpopular Pairings prompt. Or it was originally, but as I found out… I can officially not write pairings that go against either cannon or my personal opinion. So… this ****_is_**** PercyXSilena, just probably not as expected. Sorry about that.**

_Prompts:nightmare#rain#sweat#swivet#AU_

* * *

**One Step Closer**

Silena blinked as Annabeth, her maidservant, brushed her hair. Something felt so wrong. Her dream had felt so real, from the searing pain to the peace. From the warmth of his kisses to the beating of their hearts.

The gloss ran over her full lips, and Silena stared at her mirror image. She looked like the princess she was. It was a nightmare. Everything she ate left a bitter taste in her mouth, everything she looked at was tinged with a thousand possibilities and regrets and unlived lives.

Outside her tower window, the clouds opened up; a path from Heaven reached Earth in a torrent of rain. It splattered against the windows, drumming with accusing, unrelenting beats. Annabeth dabbed away a tear that had appeared at the corner of Silena's vision.

"I just feel like something is so wrong," Silena said, her voice cracking as she desperately tried to make her point. "Like something should have happened, like something has already happened." Annabeth pulled a long purple gown from its mahogany chest.

"It's as though something is going to happen," Silena continued, standing in the centre of the room and raising her arms. "And I have to say this now, or I won't remember. The second I leave this room… it'll be too late."

Annabeth carefully pulled the layered skirts over Silena's head, expertly lacing up the back.

"It's nothing, Silena," Annabeth said calmly. "Perseus is the ideal husband, and you've never expressed such a fear of this marriage before."

"I know," Silena stood still as Annabeth began to braid her dark hair. "Everything was perfect, Perseus is a wonderful man – that has not changed – but I think…" Silena felt a bead of sweat drop from her brow and stopped frowning immediately. "… But I think that I have."

"That is nonsense," Annabeth fixed her grey eyes sternly on Silena. It was uncustomary for a maid to address a princess with such an attitude, but Annabeth had been _blessed_ with attitude. "Utter drivel and you know it. You're all of a swivet, simply because of your nightmare. I knew that I shouldn't have let you sleep in for so long."

"It wasn't a nightmare," Silena insisted. "_This_ is. I cannot marry Perseus because I do not love him."

Annabeth scoffed; "You loved him enough yesterday." Flushed, Silena swung around to face her maid, hair flying from its intertwined restraints. With a cracking sound, Annabeth stumbled backwards with a red handprint clearly visible on her cheek. She clutched her face, gaping for a moment, before becoming impassive and beginning to redo Silena's hair.

The colours blurred and Silena could no longer see the rain through the torrents and storms in her eyes. They raged and cascaded down her cheeks as Annabeth said nothing and braided.

"You have to understand," Silena sobbed. "The second I leave this room, the minute I take my father's hand, I'll have forgotten about him. I _can't_ forget about him… I love him."

"He is," Annabeth pulled at her hair, rougher than before, "A figment of your imagination. Nothing more, nothing less."

"But he wasn't!" Silena exploded. "He was brave, and strong, and good. You were there, Perseus was there. And I died, he died. I felt the burning. I smelled the flames." With less emotion than a door, Annabeth rubbed make-up over Silena's tear-stained features.

"No," Silena said as Annabeth took her wrist and began to lead her from the room. "NO! I'll forget! Don't make me forget, I can't forget!" Annabeth opened the door.

"NO! Please, Annabeth, please Lord, no!"

The door clicked shut behind them, knob turning with a snap. "Unhand me," Silena snapped. Annabeth pulled back, sighing. A figure stepped out from the shadows, smiling and dressed in a royal mauve.

"Silena," his voice splintered. "My little girl, about to get married."

"Father," Silena kissed his cheek, standing on tiptoe. "And I'm not so little now."

"No," her father agreed, tears shining in his eyes. Then Silena took his arm, and they began to walk. It was a slow beat, matching her heart's drumming.

She moved closer, and closer.

Two green eyes greeted her, welcoming and warm.

Silena smiled.

"I do," she said.

* * *

"You're being so brave," Annabeth said to her left. The man by the marble pillar smiled sadly.

"It's better this way,"

"She loved you," Annabeth revealed, placing a comforting hand on his arm. His eyes followed the princess, resplendent in a sheer lilac. "Even now, knowing nothing."

"And I love her," soft brown eyes glistened as Silena reached to alter, a man with green eyes like the ocean's depths in sunlight, took her hand.

"Charles-" Annabeth began.

"I love her," Charles confirmed, taking Annabeth's hand and staring into her eyes. "But in another life. Always in another life." They turned back to the couple, who kissed and turned to face the crowd. "My Silena is needed, this union is needed. And I give her up. Willingly," Charles' breathing hitched. "Because I know, one day, she'll be mine."


End file.
